Artist description Garrison exploded on the national scene with her single, "Superhero" and garnered critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase through her constant touring with the Sundays and the Lillith Fair in support of her 1997 Geffen Release, "Eighteen Over Me."

Artist History For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to inspire people," confides singer-songwriter-guitarist Garrison Starr. "I want my music to reach people, and I want the experience to be positive. I want to show strength and offer hope, and address issues that provide answers - even if that means provoking people. If I try to do these things, maybe I can help someone in some way." The Memphis-based performer has moved a giant step closer to meeting those goals with Eighteen Over Me (Geffen Records), her impassioned debut album. The disc fully realizes the independence and confidence Garrison has developed over the course of two self-released recordings and years of touring throughout the South. She says of her creative growth: "My songs have become more focused as I've gotten older. I feel more comfortable with the way I express myself now." Born in Hernando, Miss., Garrison was still in high school when she began performing original material in coffeehouses and clubs around Memphis. She quickly developed a following. "I graduated from high school in 1993," she recounts, "and put out my first tape that year, a cassette of nine songs. It was called Pinwheels. My friend and guitarist Clay Jones produced it. "By the time of my second release [the 1996 EP Stupid Girl], my writing was becoming more universal. The songs had become just me saying how I feel in a way anyone could understand. I want teenagers and grandmothers - everyone - to be able to relate to my songs." Thematically, Stupid Girl was a response to Garrison's three semesters at "Ole Miss," the University of Mississippi, where she found herself surrounded by young people whose chief ambition in life seemed to be "fitting in." Her dismay at this conformist mindset - and its consequences - also surfaces on Eighteen Over Me, most notably on the track "Grounded." Garrison financed her recordings through gigs - she was a veteran of the road by the time she turned 20 - and a job at Ardent Records, the legendary Memphis label and recording studio. "I was a gopher there," she admits. "I ran errands, did mailings, made phone calls. But it was fun, and, of course, I learned a lot about the music business." As her audiences expanded, one song in particular began to emerge as a crowd favorite. Titled "Superhero," it recalls the innocence of childhood. Garrison likens the joy and freedom she feels onstage to those early days: "We are ten years old/ We are holding our breath under water/ Our eardrums are bursting from the pressure/ I don't ever wanna leave the stage/ I am a superhero/ I don't ever want to leave my age/ I am a superhero." In 1995, Geffen Records A&R rep Ray Farrell received Garrison's demo tape in the mail. He remembers: "There was a song on it called 'Superhero' that was amazing. The other songs were basic acoustic guitar recordings, but 'Superhero' was real worked out. A lot of attention had been paid to detail and how it was arranged. The tracks were produced by Clay Jones. I said right away we should keep Clay involved as a producer. He has an unusual flair, and I knew he could translate Garrison's identity to the album." Eighteen Over Me was released on Sept. 23, 1997 by Geffen, and in support of Eighteen Over Me, Garrison toured with the Sundays and Lillith Fair. The single, “Superhero,” received heavy radio rotation in the San Francisco, Nashiville, Memphis, Jacksonville and Philadelphia and connected her with loyal fans throughout the country.Garrison left Geffen Records in October 1999, and she has been writing and recording new material, which will be released in early 2001. In the meantime, she recorded and released “Something To Hold You Over,” a 7 song EP of acoustic songs that contains a mixture of old and new material. This limited edition album was recorded and produced by many of Garrison’s ardent supporters and will only be sold for a short period.

Group Members Garrison Starr

Albums Stupid Girl (1996), Eighteen Over Me (1997, GEFFEN), Something To Hold You Over (EP, 2000)

Location Los Angeles, CA - USA

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